y_lou

My friend will be making a transfer in AMS on her way to FCO. She is flying Delta and then a KLM code share to FCO. Her travel agent told her that she will have to pick up her checked bags in AMS and then recheck them on the way to FCO but not on the way back to SEA. I told her that was incorrect, that her bags would be checked to FCO and she wouldn't see them until Rome. To be sure we called Delta and the agent told us she WOULD have to pick up her bags in AMS. Could this possible be true? I have never had to pick up bags when transiting in a European airport but I don't want to give out bad information. Thanks

janisj

As long as she checks the bags through at SEA she won't see them again until FCO. She will go through passport control at AMS, but Customs would be at FCO.

Now, I did see a thread (I <i>think</i> in the Lounge) a while back about some carrier will no longer interline bags. Don't remember if it was about Delta or not. That is the only thing I can think of.

But I'm w/ you, checking through has never been a problem except on the discount carriers that never interline . . . Even between their own flights.

y_lou

Thanks for your reply, janisj. I just wanted a second opinion on this. I was so surprised when the Delta agent told us she would have to pick up her bags. Both her flights have Delta flight numbers so it isn't an interline situation. I have told her to make sure that the agent in SEA marks her bags to FCO.

rkkwan

Either that agent is 100% wrong or your friend misheard.

y_lou

rkkwan, I am not surprised the travel agent gave her that information, the teenage son of another friend spent a lot of time wandering around the Madrid airport looking for his luggage due to the same misinformation from her. That was why we made my husband (he's very good with this type of thing) call Delta and get the information from them. He kept asking the question and stating that we had never had to do this. The Delta CSA assured him that she WOULD have to get her luggage in AMS. We were so shocked by that answer. As I stated above I don't want to give my friend the incorrect info.

suze

I would assume the travel agent was wrong. But if the *airline* is telling you this, it would cause me to worry. How about calling back again and see if a second agent at Delta tells you the same thing.

I'd want to know before heading to the airport, if my luggage was going all the way thru (like I would assume) or not (for some weird reason).

rkkwan

The agent is wrong and the DL agent is wrong; and we are correct. No need to call anybody. She won't see the bags at AMS. End of story.

y_lou

Yes we are right, rkkwan. The Delta CSA must be wrong. Can you imagine the chaos at AMS if all transiting passengers had to re-claim and re-check their luggage? I will tell my friend (again) to double check at SEA that her bags are tagged to FCO. Thanks again everyone.

suze

I'm just wondering why two different professionals are giving the same wrong information is all.

y_lou

Suze, That does worry me a bit and that's why I've told my friend to double check at SEA. I tried to find out the transfer procedure at AMS on both Delta's and Shiphol Airport's websites but came up empty. I was hoping someone here had done this transfer recently and would chime in.

Gardyloo

http://www.klm.com/travel/ch_en/prep...e/index.htm#p6

Scroll down to "baggage and transferring."

<i>If your trip includes a transfer, <b>your check-in baggage is usually labelled to be sent to your final destination.</b> This means that your baggage will automatically be put onto the next flight.

There are a few exceptions to this rule:
• If you have purchased two or more tickets from different airlines that have dissimilar conditions
• If you transfer from an AIR FRANCE or KLM flight to a domestic flight such as a domestic flight in the United States
• If you arrive at one airport and depart from another airport
• If your transfer lasts longer than 12 hours and your next flight departs the next day
• If you make a stopover
• If part of your itinerary includes bus or rail transport

In these cases, your baggage will not automatically be sent on to your final destination. You will have to collect it and check it in again for the next leg in your flight schedule.

Your baggage's destination is stated on your baggage claim tag that you receive when dropping off your baggage.</i>

Your friend will be going through <i>immigration</i> (humans) at Amsterdam and <i>customs</i> (stuff) at Rome.

The TA should be sacked. So should the Delta CSA.

rkkwan

People don't get enough training. People are not professional in their work.

No need to double check at SEA or anywhere else. As long as your bags are tagged to FCO, she will not see the bags anywhere before Rome. Really, that is the end of it.

y_lou

I told her to make sure the bags said FCO and then be prepared for a long wait in Rome for the bags to come off the plane.

suze

<As long as your bags are tagged to FCO,>

I'm not disagreeing with that.

I'm just saying if I myself had been personally told by more than one travel professional that my bags were not going thru (like I would of course expect) it would make me nervous.

I'd want to get to the bottom of it BEFORE I was standing at SeaTac, checking in for an overseas flight, to *see* if they were getting tagged for Rome or only for Amsterdam. That's all.

y_lou

My husband wanted to get another opinion and emailed the Rick Steve' company because they often route people through AMS. This is what he wrote:

I am on a Delta flight from Seattle to Amsterdam to Rome. Delta says I will need to collect my luggage in Amsterdam and recheck it through customs even though I am continuing on Delta. They're wrong, aren't they? In the past I have had to go through passport control but haven't had to claim and recheck my luggage.

Their reply:

They are actually correct in that you will just need to pick up your bag and place it on a belt to go through security. This doesn't mean you'll have to re-check in or re-check your bag, you are just required to place your bag through security when arriving in Europe at the first stopover, regardless of whether that's your final destination or not. It shouldn't take long, it's just a matter of grabbing your bag and placing it on a belt before you go on to your next gate.

What is not clear to me is if everyone is referring to the carry on baggage--which you do put through security after the passport check or if they are actually saying you have to get your hands on your checked bags. If this were just me I'd just let things unfold as I traveled but this is my friend's first trip of this type and she wants to know what to expect.

Gardyloo

Sigh.

Look, the first rule of thumb in dealing with airlines is that when you get an answer you don't like, or don't think is right, you thank them nicely, then <i>hang up and phone back.</i>

So I just got off the phone with a nice KLM agent (in the US, 1-800-618-0104) where the following conversation took place <i>verbatim.</i>

<i>Me: Hi, I'm traveling on a Delta flight from Seattle to Amsterdam, connecting to a KLM flight to Rome. It's my understanding that since both are Schengen countries, I'll go through passport control in Amsterdam but collect my luggage for customs in Rome. Is that right?

She: Yes, that's correct.

Me: That's what I thought, thanks.</i>

Hand baggage will be screened at Schiphol; checked baggage will go through to Rome, despite what some 23 year old in Edmonds thinks.

suze

You mean like this I posted above Gardyloo:

<How about calling back again and see if a second agent at Delta tells you the same thing.>

rkkwan

This is so frustrating. How about this:

If you friend has her bags tagged to FCO but was required to pick up bags at AMS, I'll give her $1,000.

In return, since you guys have to keep looking for wrong answers, you have to give me $100 for each person telling her she has to pick up bags.

I'm going to make a fortune out of this.

y_lou

rkkwan, I know she will be able to check her bags through to FCO. But I do find it interesting how many people are giving out incorrect or, in the case of the Rick Steve's staff member, confusing information. What the heck did she mean by saying you don't have to "re check or re check in" your bags just pick them up and put them on a belt to go through security? So the bags just magically appear somewhere by a conveyor belt? Very confusing to those who haven't transited internationally.
Delta should have information on connections clearly spelled out on their website like Air Canada or KLM does. We all get information from the internet these days and this would eliminate the issue of differing answers from the CSAs when you call their 1-800 phone number.